Dragon Blood: Triple Berry Skeeter Pee

[dangerdave]

So many wines blend nicely with the DB, so don't sweat what your adding. Now that I have been a making it for so long, I always have some DB on hand for topping.

 

[LoneStarLori]

I always topped off with white so it doesn't hinder that beautiful color

It may make it just a hair darker with the Black Currant. I figured I'd stay true to the berry wine. Can't have grapes contaminating the berries.

 

[ou8amaus]

Initially I had made a batch of Quad berry, as that was all I could find. I and many others loved it. Specifically my wife. I turned around and it was all gone. So thinking I learned my lesson this time I started 2 batches. Found the triple berry at Costco and also am trying another berry mix they sell. I just finished them up and I am scared. OK, worried. This original triple berry recipe came out MUCH darker, with more berry flavor than the quad berry had. I have already been given "The Look" after SWMBO tasted the tri-berry. I am going to need more carboys. Damn, thanks Dave

 

[dangerdave]

I think it's the blueberries. They lend a deep ruby red color to the DB. My straight blueberry version comes out about the same color.

Oh, and you are very welcome, Micky. Tell your SWMBO to enjoy the wine! You'll be making more. As a note, it took me over a year of making DB to overcome consumption. Lots of women in our two extended families. They love it! Well, so does everyone else...

 

[Tess]

The Black and Blue (Blackberry, Blueberry) version is very Dark as you would imagine. Still pretty. Deep and Rich would describe the color and the taste

 

[Tripplett]

Ou8amaus I've always used the quad berry and lately have added extras. My current is quad berry with 1lb raisins and 32 oz of organic "just tart cherry" by R.W. Knudsen (Food Lion organic section). Sometimes I'll throw chopped up bananas in there. After fermenting I've been adding oak. You have me curious about the triple berry - now I'll have to compare them.

As for top off if I have any I use a previous DB or white zin.

 

[Tess]

I added chopped raisins to the Black and Blue

 

[wineforfun]

Just reporting back on a variation I tried, Choco-Lime DB.
Triple berry, lime juice, 71-B yeast. After fermenting, clearing, backsweetening, I added 85% Lindt dark chocolate to a gallon.
At first, when bottling, heavy lime with some berry flavor, but not much on the chocolate.
After 1 month in the bottle, the lime has mellowed quite a bit, berry flavor more pronounced and it has a nice chocolate finish.
Curious to see how another month or two treats it.

 

[RotGut76]

I am currently on my 3rd batch of DBSP. I have aged the first batch for going on 3 months. Every month since I made it I "taste test" one bottle.

The latest bottle I opened last night. The color is outstanding. It smells great. However, I'm getting a little off flavoring after taste. It is hard to describe. Its like a bitterness or tartness. It seems like something is missing from the flavor.

I followed the recipe exactly except when I back sweetened I used 3 additional pounds of the berry mix juiced and sweetened with sugar.

I know describing a flavor over text is not easy but did anyone else have a similar result?

Did I not back sweeten enough (for my tastes)?

Did I do something else wrong that I'm not seeing?

Or will the off flavor disappear with more aging?

 

[jamesngalveston]

the bitterness are tartness is from the unfermented fruit.
3 lbs of additional fruit is enough to totally alter the taste.
If you tasted the must before fermentation are sugar addition, you would have gotten the similar taste.
you added a lot of fruit.
if you would have added the sugar to the fruit and cooked it down to a simple syrup you may not have gotten that tartness you are describing.
you could start a 3 gallon batch, and when it goes dry, add the bottled wine to the 3 to make a 5 are 6, let it clear, sorbate, it backsweeten and bottle...
just saying, not advising. saving the wine bottled.....

 

[RotGut76]

the bitterness are tartness is from the unfermented fruit.
3 lbs of additional fruit is enough to totally alter the taste.

Wow. Thanks. I didn't think that the unfermented fruit would have such a negative impact.

The batch I have going now will be done as per the recipe.

 

[bluedog]

I boarded the DB train last weekend. Today marks 7 days since I pitched the EC-1118. SG is presently at 0.997 (temp corrected). I'm fermenting in a fermentation chamber so I can maintain pretty tight temperatures and went with 72F. Seems like that is on the cooler side? I expect it can drop a few more points, so I will give it a chance before heating up to help with degassing.

Pretty much followed the original recipe. I used the triple berry blend available at Costco, but the one variation was an organic lemon juice also picked up at Costco (Italian Volcano?). Looking forward to this one.

 

[dangerdave]

Welcome to the club, bluedog! We love it here!

I've recently lowered my ferment temp from a warm 80F to 72F. The DB comes out much smoother from the get-go. You'll love it.

RotGut76: When I used the extra fruit in the DB, I put the fruit and it's juices into the clear wine (in a carboy) and let it sit for a month like that. I got no bitter taste in mine. It did come out fruitier, but---naturally---I lost some wine in the racking. I didn't think the improvement was enough to make it worth the fuss. I've since reverted back to the original---at a slightly lower temp.

 

[RotGut76]

Thanks Dangerdave. My current batch I'm doing by the book.

I have a question on the Tropical Pee. After racking a few times I came up a little short in my 6 gallon carboy.

I topped it up with just a little pineapple juice because I didn't want too much head space. Its a little cloudy now. Will it clear out again of do I need to add something to it?

 

[dangerdave]

It should clear back up. How long has it been since you added the juice?

 

[RotGut76]

It should clear back up. How long has it been since you added the juice?

Last night

 

[dangerdave]

Give it at least a week after adding anything. If it hasn't at least started to clear, you can hit it with another dose of Sparkolloid or some Super Klear (whatever is on hand). Won't hurt it a bit.

 

[Tess]

Im not musch of a sparkling wine fan because honestly Iv never had a good one. Im thinking of Doing James Peach blush version and carbonating it for NYE

 

[jamesngalveston]

I dont care for any sparkling wine....I like to take big gulps...and if u do that with sparkling wine, you blow up like a puffer fish....No thanks.
I can not get enough of this peach blush started 12 gallons today...

 

[bluedog]

Racked and stabilized the DB tonight. Wow, what a fruit bomb! My office/wine room smelled great. Hopefully I managed to degas it thoroughly enough (3 passes with the AllInOne). I had never used sparkalloid before. Sort of strange to boil what basically looks like fine dirt and toss it into that lovely wine.